Washington (WA)

Washington State Flag

 

"The Evergreen State"

Why visit Washington?

For the outdoor lovers seeking culture, biking, birdwatching, boating, camping, casinos, cycling, diving, fishing, hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, mountains, outdoor activities, parks, rain forests, seafood, seafood, skiing, snowboarding, wildlife, windsurfers and wineries.

A popular destination for:

• Amateur & Professional Photographers
• Conventions, Meetings, Reunions
• Cruise: Disembark/Embark
• Groups: Family, Friends, Multigenerational
• Milestones: Anniversary, Birthday, Retirement

Seattle, WA. Photo Credit: Korneel Luth/Pixabay 

At a Glance

• Capital: Olympia
• State Bird: American Goldfinch 
• State Dessert: None
• State Flower: Coast Rhododendron
• State Gemstone: Petrified Wood 
• State Mammal:  Olympic Marmot
• State Rock: None

Snoqualmie Falls, WA. Photo Credit: Korneel Luth/Pixabay 

Fun Facts

• Home of the oldest and most complete skeleton human remains ever found in North America, Kennewick Man (1996).
• Straddling the border between the U.S. and Canada is a six-story arch (Blaine).
• Upon their settlement Dutch and Scandinavians planted tulips under the peaks in Skagit Valley. A picturesque sight today.
• The largest burrowing clams in the world, geoducks are locally found and known to live up to 146 years.
• Mount Rainier (14,411 feet), is an active stratovolcano and the most topographically prominent mountain in our country.
• Forests covering about half the state's land area; they're a leading lumber producer: cedar, douglas fir, hemlock, larch, ponderosa pine, spruce and white pine. 
• Our largest producer: apples, hops, pears, red raspberries, spearmint oil and sweet cherries. Also, recognized for producing: apricots, asparagus, dry edible peas, grapes, lentils, peppermint oil and potatoes.
• Ranks second for wine production.
• One of our wealthiest states with several billionaires to include Bill Gates (Microsoft), Howard Schultz (Starbucks), James Jannard (Oakley) and Jeff Bezos (Amazon), just to name a few.
• Only state named after a president, George Washington.
• Active volcanoes include Glacier Peak, Mount Adams, Mount Baker, Mount Rainier and Mount St Helens. Mt Rainier is considered the most dangerous volcano in the Cascade Range given its proximity to Seattle metropolitan area.
• Aquarian Tabernacle Church (Index) is the largest Wiccan (Pagan Witchcraft) in the country.
• Headquarters to corporate moguls: Amazon, Costco, Microsoft and Starbucks.
• Has 400 islands.
• Features 6 National Forests and 215 State Parks.
  

Cape Flattery (Clallam County), WA. Photo Credit: ArtTower from Pixabay 

Thank You!

• Spotlight Celebrities: Daniel Bryan (Athlete), Dove Cameron (Actress), Isaiah Thomas (Athlete), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Actor), Jimi Hendrix (Musician), Karan Brar (Actor), Kurt Cobain (Musician), Madelaine Petsch (Actress), Nick Robinson (Actor), Pierson Fode (Actor), Rainn Wilson (Actor) and Sydney Sweeney (Actress), just to name a few.
• Movies to Inspire You: Assassins (1995), Austin Powers The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Say Anything (1989), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), The Butterfly Effect (2004), The Hunt For Red October (1990), The Postman (1997), The Ring (2002) and Twilight (2008), just to name a few.
• Reads Set in Washington: Citizen Vince (written by Jess Walter), Eruption (written by Steve Olson), Jackie's Wild Seattle (written by Will Hobbs), Skid Road (written by Murray Morgan), The Alpine Advocate (written by Mary Daheim), The Last Town on Earth (written by Thomas Mullen), The Seattle Puzzle (written by Gertrude Chandler Warner), Truth Like the Sun (written by Jim Lynch) and Who in Hell is Wanda Fuca? (written G. M. Ford), just to name a few.

Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park (Wanapum Recreational Area), Vantage, WA. Photo Credit: MegMarkR1/Pixabay 

Good to Know

• Subject to frequent rainfall.
• Tulips bloom in April (Skagit Valley).
• Between April - October (Snoqualmie) there are scenic railway tours of Puget Sound & Snoqualmie Valley.
• For skiing the snow is usually wet (western) slopes of the Cascades and drier east.
• Asian cuisine and Hispanic flavors are widely available.
• Medicinal and recreational cannabis is legal.
  
• Same sex marriage is legal.
• Abortions on request and physician-assisted suicide are legally practiced.
• Possession, sale and transfer of Bump Stocks (Gun Stocks) is illegal. 
  
• San Juan Islands is heavily inhabited with gray, killer and humpback whales.
  
• State base sales tax is 6.5%, state and local retail sales tax rates are between 7.5% and 10%. Sales tax rate in Seattle and Tacoma is 10.1%. Sales tax rate in Lynnwood and Mill Creek is 10.4%. Most foods are exempt from sales tax. Prepared foods, dietary supplements, and soft drinks remain taxable. Excise tax applies to alcoholic beverages, cigarettes and gasoline.
  

Subject to hurricanes, snowstorms, tornadoes, volcano eruptions and wildfires.

• Best Time to Visit: March - October
• Coldest Month: January
• Hottest Months: June - September
• Peak Season: June - August

Olympic National Park (Deer Park), Port Angeles, WA. Photo Credit: MegMarkR1/Pixabay 

Your Must-See & Do

• Historical Sites: ADVENTURESS (Schooner), American & English Camps, ARTHUR FOSS (Tug), B Reactor, Bonneville Dam Historic District, Chinook Point, Duwamish (Fireboat), Fireboat No1, Fort Nisqually Granary, Fort Worden, Lightship No 83 "SWIFTSURE", Longmire Buildings, Marmes Rockshelter, Mount Rainier National Park, Panama Hotel, Paradise Inn, Pioneer Building Pergola & Totem Pole, Port Gamble Historic District, Port Townsend, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Seattle Electric Company Georgetown Steam Plant, Virginia V (Steamboat), W.T. Preston (Snagboat) and Yakima Park Stockade Group.
• Museums: American Hop Museum, Appaloosa Museum & Heritage Center, Asian Art
  Museum, Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Bellevue Arts Museum, Bigelow House Museum, Bug & Reptile Museum, Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture, Cascadia Art Museum, Cashmere Museum and Pioneer Village, Central Washington Agricultural Museum, Chihuly Garden & Glass, Children's Museum of Tacoma, Clark County Historical Museum, Clymer Museum of Art, Coast Guard Museum Northwest, Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum, Connections Museum, Cranberry Museum, Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum, Forks Timber Museum, Fort Nisqually Living History Museum, Fort Walla Walla Museum, Franklin County Historical Museum, Frye Art Museum, Hands On Children's Museum, Harbor History Museum, Hydroplane & Race Boat Museum, Job Carr Cabin Museum, Karpeles Manuscript Museum, KidsQuest Children's Museum, Kirkman House Museum, Kittitas County Historical Museum, Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum, LeMay - America's Car Museum, Lewis Army Museum, Living Computers: Museum +  Labs, Log House Museum, Longmire Museum, Lynden Pioneer Museum, Makah Cultural & Research Center Museum, Maryhill Museum of Art, Moses Lake Museum & Art Center, Museum of Glass, Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI), Museum of Northwest Art, Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), National Nordic Museum, Northern Pacific Railway Museum, Northwest African American Museum, Northwest Carriage Museum, Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, Northwest Railway Museum, Pacific Bonsai Museum, Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum, Olympic Flight Museum, Pacific Science Center, Pearson Air Museum, Pioneer Farm Museum, Polson Museum, Port Townsend Aero Museum, Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum, Puget Sound Navy Museum, Renton History Museum, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle's Official Bad Art Museum of Art, Seattle Pinball Museum, Shafer Historical Museum, Shoreline Historical Museum, SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention, Spokane Valley Heritage Museum, Suquamish Museum, Tacoma Art Museum, The Museum of Flight, The Orcas Island Historical Museum, The San Juan Islands Museum of Art, The Skagit County Historical Museum, The Whale Museum, United States Naval Undersea Museum, USS Turner Joy, Valentinetti Puppet Museum, Veterans Memorial Museum, Washington State History Museum, Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center, Westport Maritime Museum, Whatcom Museum, Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, World Kite Museum & Hall Fame, WSU Schnitzer Art Museum and Yakima Valley Museum.
• Popular Attractions: Aberdeen Art Center, Alki Beach Park, Angel Of The Winds Casino, Ape Cave, Arbor Crest Wine Cellars, Arctic Raven Gallery, A Sound Garden, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Bellevue Downtown Park, Bellevue Square, BJ's Bingo & Gaming, Black Sun, Boeing Everett Factory, Bridge of the Gods, Cape Disappointment State Park, Cape Flattery, Casino Caribbean, Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes, Chateau Ste Michelle Winery, Chihuly Garden & Glass, Columbia River Gorge, Columbia Valley, Cottonwood Beach, Coulee Dam Casino, Coyote Bob's Roadhouse Casino, Crazy Moose Pasco, Crystal Mountain, Darrington Bluegrass Music Park, Deception Pass State Park, Diablo Lake, Discovery Park, Dosewallips State Park, Elliott Bay, Elwha River Casino, Fremont Troll, Emerald Queen Casino, Esther Short Park, Fortune Casino Renton, Fortune Casino Tukwila, Foss Waterway Seaport, Gas Works Park, Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park, Ginkgo Petrified Forest, Golden Gardens Park, Gold Mountain Golf Club, Gorge Amphitheatre, Great American Casino Tukwila, Hall of Mosses, Henry M Jackson Visitor Center, Hindu Temple & Cultural Center, Hiram M Chittenden Locks (Ballard Locks), Hoh Rain Forest, ilani Casino, International Fountain, Jokers Comedy Club, Juanita Beach Park, Kalispel Casino, Kayak Point, Kerry Park, Kerry Park, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Lake Washington, Lake Wenatchee, Lewis & Clark National Historical Park, Lilac Lanes & Casino, Lightcatcher Building, Lime Kiln Point State Park, Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple, Little Creek Casino, Lucky Dog Casino, Manito Park & Botanical Gardens,  Marymere Falls, Marymoor Park, Matthews Beach Park, Mill Bay Casino, Mount Rainier National Park, Mount Si, Mount St Helens National Volcanic Monument, Mt Baker, Muckleshoot Casino, Mukilteo Beach, Myrtle Edwards Park, Narada Falls, Nisqually Red Wind Casino, Nooksack Northwood Casino, North Cascades National Park, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Occidental Park, Olympic National Park, Osoyoos Lake, Owen Beach, Pacific Science Center, Palouse Falls State Park, Peace Arch State Park, Pier 55, Pike Place Market, Point Defiance Park, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Point No Point Light, Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, Proto-Cathedral of St James the Greater, Quil Ceda Creek Casino, Red Mountain, Remlinger Farms, Rialto Beach, Richmond Beach Saltwater Park, Riverfront Park, Roman Casino, Royal Casino Everett, Ruby Beach, Sakya Monastery, Sammamish River Trail, Seattle Aquarium,  Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple, Seattle Center, Seattle Central Library, Seattle Glassblowing Studio, Seattle Japanese Garden, Seattle Skyline, 7 Cedars, Shoalwater Bay Casino, Silver Dollar Casino Seatac, Skagit River Eagle Preserve, Sky View Observatory, Smith Tower, Snoqualmie Casino, Snoqualmie Falls, Sooes Beach, Space Needle,  Spokane Tribe Casino, St Helens National Volcanic Monument, The Gum Wall, The Seattle Great Wheel, Tillicum Village, Tipsoo Lake, Volunteer Park, Volunteer Park Conservatory, Wallace Falls State Park, Warren G Magnuson Park, Washington Park Arboretum UW Botanic Gardens, Waterfront Park, West Seattle Golf Course, Wild Goose Casino, Wild Waves Theme & Water Park, Wizards Casino, Woodland Park Zoo and Yakima Valley.
• Popular Cities/Towns to Visit: Bellingham, Bellevue, Blaine, Bothell, Bremerton, Ellensburg, Everett, Federal Way, Ilwaco, Kenmoore, Kent, Olympia, Port Angeles, Puget Sound, Redmond, Renton, Rockport, Seattle, Skagit Valley, Spokane, Tacoma, Tenino, Vancouver, Yakima, and Walla Walla.
• Most Visited Islands: Anderson Island, Bainbridge Island, Camano Island, Decatur Island, Ebey Island, Fidalgo Island, Fir Island, Fox Island, Guemes Island, Harstene Island, Herron Island, Indian Island, Little Island, Lopez Island, Lummi Island, Marrowstone Island, Maury Island, McNeil Island, Mercer Island, Orcas Island, Point Roberts, Puget Island, Raft Island, Reach Island, Samish Island, San Juan Island, Shaw Island, Stretch Island, Vashon Island, Waldron Island and Whidbey Island.
  
• Special Events: (February) Northwest Flower & Garden Show, Red Wine & Chocolate,  Wintergrass Music Festival, (April) Sakura-Con, Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, Spring Barrel Tasting, Washington State Apple Blossom Festival, (May) Bellevue Squash Classic, Irrigation Festival, Miss Washington's Outstanding Teen, Northwest Folklife Festival, Opening Day of Boating Season, Seattle International Film Festival, Seattle Maritime Festival, Spokane Lilac Festival, Viking Fest, Volume Inlander Music Festival, (June)  HONK! Fest West, Mud Bay Run, Mural-in-a-Day, Paradiso Festival, Seattle Pride, Upstream Music Fest + Summit, (July) Above & Beyond Group Therapy Weekender, Bellevue Arts Museum ArtsFair, Capitol Hill Block Party, Critical Northwest, Fourth of Jul-Ivar's, Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival & Classic Speedboat Show, Olympia Hempfest, Olympic Music Festival, Pilchuck Glass School Open House, Seafair, Sequim Lavender Festival, Walla Walla Sweet Onion Festival, Washington Mutual Family Fourth, Watershed Music Festival, (August) Chief Seattle Days, Makah Days, Omak Stampede & Suicide Race, Seattle Hempfest Protestival, Summer Meltdown Festival, Washington State International Kite Festival, (September) Bumbershoot Festival, Ellensburg Rodeo, Green Bluff Apple Festival, Imagine Music & Arts Festival, Seattle Music & Arts Festival, Washington State Autumn Leaf Festival, Washington State Fair, Wooden Boat Festival, (October) Cranberrian Fair, Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival, Fresh Hop Ale Festival, Issaquah Salmon Days Festival, Kinetic Sculpture Race, Oktoberfest, Tacoma Arts Month, (November) Christmas Lighting, Thanksgiving in the Wine Country, Zoolights, (December) Christmas Ships Festival and New Year's at the Needle.
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Olympic National Park

North Cascades National Park, WA. Photo Credit: carolynhasemail/Pixabay 

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All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.